A division bench of the high court on Monday set up a three-member committee to probe alleged illegal recruitment of Group D staff in secondary schools.
The division bench headed by Justice Harish Tandon set aside a single-judge bench’s order for a CBI probe into the allegations.
The three-member committee is chaired by Justice R.K. Bag, former judge of Calcutta High Court, and includes a representative each of the School Service Commission (SSC) and the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education.
Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay had ordered a CBI probe into the allegations.
The division bench on Monday asked the probe committee to submit its re-port in two months and said: “The future course of action by the court… will be decided only after receiving the report….”
A petition was moved before the court of Justice Gangopadhyay alleging that 25 Group D employees were appointed by the SSC even after the expiry of the term of a panel that was drawn up for the purpose. The panel’s tenure was till May 4, 2019.
During the hearing, the court was told that all 25 people got the jobs on the basis of recommendation letters issued after the expiry of the panel’s term.
The fact had prompted Justice Gangopadhyay to order the SSC and the council to file affidavits stating why recommendation letters were issued after the expiry of the panel.
Both stated they had not issued the recommendation letters. After going through the statements, Justice Gangopadhyay ordered the CBI probe.
The judge had also asked the government to stop the salaries of the 25 people who were allegedly hired illegally.
Later, it was found that 382 more candidates had allegedly got jobs in a similar way. Their salaries, too, were stopped.
The state government moved an appeal before the division bench against the CBI probe order. Three of the 25 candidates moved the same bench challenging the order to stop their salaries.
Hearing the government' appeal, the division bench issued an interim order staying the CBI probe.
The bench said the controversial Group D staff would get their salaries till the probe committee submitted its report.